


Jenna and Nick and Mt Everest (first draft)

by Mariahtessjojasper



Category: Proof of Life
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:07:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29708622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariahtessjojasper/pseuds/Mariahtessjojasper
Summary: 1/1. Nick and Jenna go to Nepal planning to climb Everest together.  The year before Nick went with climbers they’d met in Banff.  He tried to get Jenna to go.  She didn’t, wouldn’t. Nick went anyway.  He didn’t summit. He turned back on the Hillary step.  Terry and Alice plan to be at Base Camp during Nick’s climb this time.  Dino and Mac plan to come to Base camp also.  Jenna gets sick in Kathmandu before they start their trek to base camp and never completely shakes whatever she has.  She climbs anyway.  She is still involved with Martin. They have been together a little over a year.  He has stayed stable, a little weaker.  He insisted she go - he paid for half the trip He tells her she is climbing for both of them.  Insisted on half paying for her trip. They are compatible. Easy with each other.  Are a stable couple.  Jo has been doing Jenna’s job as steward and Paul is teaching Jo to fly.
Relationships: Dino/Terry Thorne, Hasan Meghwar - Relationship, Jenna Mancuso, Luke Willits, Nick Bowman, Terry Thorne and Alice Bowman





	1. March 14 Jenna and Nick in Katmandu

March 14  
Jenna and Nick land in Katmandu at Tribhuvan Airport. Get through customs. Jenna is patient. She has traveled a lot. Nick has been through it only a year ago so he isn't bothered by the lines and the paperwork. They get their gear.

  
Nick calls his mom and Terry. Terry has insisted that Nick bring a satellite phone. Nick uses the satellite phone tells Terry it is working fine and is unnecessary that his cell would have worked fine.

"Not on the mountain."

"I didn't have a satellite phone on Kilimanjaro or on Denali."

"Nick, if it makes your mom happy we are going to do it. So use it after Lukla. But you would have had one on Denali if you mom had known about them. "

Jenna calls Martin.  
“Hey Martin.”  
“Hey Jenna. You there? Flight okay?”  
”Yeah good. We’re here. I got a little air sick. Never get air sick. Queasy on the ride in. Maybe the altitude.”  
”Zephyr misses you.”  
”Yeah, you miss me?”  
”Hell no. You are off climbing a mountain with your ex boyfriend.”  
”Hey. You insisted. You financed half of this trip. ”  
”Zeph wanted you to do it. Zeph would have liked to have gone with you. He likes mountains"  
"No dogs with web feet allowed on Everest."  
"He says hi. Say something to him.”  
Jenna says “Hi Zeph.” She hears snorting noises. Scratching.  
”Zeph is trying to find you in the phone. He’s pawing the phone.  
”Gotta go Martin. I’ll call you later.”  
”Be careful Jenna.”  
"Bye."

*

Nick and Jenna check into the Kathmandu Hotel. Share a room.  
Jenna says, “One bed?”  
”I’ll sleep on the floor. We were late booking. Everything else taken. Except the bridal suite."  
"This hotel has a bridal suite?   
"Kidding. Still queasy?”  
”Better. Maybe something I ate.”

*

They find their guide Parker Reagan and two others from their group sitting at a table with two empty chairs at the Yak Track restaurant. Their guide waves to them motions them over. He gets up. He is an affable guy. 6’3”. Full beard. He gives Jenna a bear hug.

“Hey. Jenna. Good to see you again. Sorry you couldn’t join us last year. I didn’t get Nick to the top. Was a great season except for that one storm. Nick’s storm. Glad you could talk her into it, Nick. We’ll get you both to the top. I have a great feeling about this year.”

He hugs Nick.

“Not me man. I couldn’t talk her into it. Her boyfriend talked her into it.”

“I thought you were her boyfriend. Weren’t you together in Banff?”

“She moved on. Still friends, no benefits. Now with a guy in a wheel chair.”

Jenna looks at Nick. “Ouch.”

Nick looks down. ”Sorry. Jet lag.”

Jenna says, ”My boyfriend has ALS. He can still walk some. He wanted me to climb. Wished he could climb with me. I’m doing it for both of us. You know how it is.”

Parker says, ”I know how it is. My wife is home with our two year old. We climbed together a lot before the baby. Met her climbing K2. She climbed Everest three times. Never summited. I miss her, wish she were here. No place for a two year old.”

There are two people sitting quietly at the table with Parker.

“Hey sorry. Sit down. So let me introduce you to two of our group. This is Bonnie, Dr. Carter. She is our doctor. She isn’t climbing. Her word is law in my group. She’s from California. Just retired. Did urgent care at Kaiser Laguna Hills. Lucky to have her."

The woman, smiles, puts out her hand. "Call me Bonnie."

"And this is Brian Stedman. He’s a lawyer from Toronto. Contract law. 2nd time. Climbed with me three years ago. Made it to camp three then got HAPE. “

Stedman says, “HAPE's a bitch. Hope to do better this time. Good to meet you."

Stedman puts out his hand. 

“Didn’t summit last time. Not his fault. "

”Jenna did Kilimanjaro in October before last. With Nick. And Nick did Denali at 17. Also climbed Rainer last year. Bonnie has done Denali too Nick. And Richard climbed Rainier last year.”

“I know everyone in the group has climbed with oxygen. Well everyone but you Jenna. Have you ever climbed with oxygen?”

"Nick had me practice some. I've worn the mask. Felt how it feels to shift to the bottled oxygen. I’ve never climbed with it.”

“Nick, did you say your parents are coming to Base Camp?”

“My stepdad and my mom. Jenna’s boss.”

”Your mom is Jenna’s boss?”

”My stepdad is Jenna's boss.”

”Do I need to make arrangements for a place for them?”

”No. Terry is flying into Kathmandu in his plane. He may bring their new dog an Otterhound with him.

He will probably have a chateau built in base camp and have a chef flown in. They’ll helicopter in to base camp."

Jenna laughs.

“No it’s not like that. Nick saying that makes Terry seem like something he’s not. He’s ex-special forces. SAS. Special Air Services. He has a security firm now. He brought everybody to Banff. When we met you two years ago. Last year for the retreat they took everyone to Cabo San Lucas. On the firm. Global. Global Risk Management and Protection. Once a year they treat everybody. Calls it R & R. He and his partner are both ex-military. Partner was Delta Force. The both think like military guys.”

Nick says, "Which is fine with Jenna cause she was a Army Ranger. G I Jane."

Bonnie looks at Jenna, "I'm impressed."

"Don't be. I quit a year after I made it through the training."

Richard says, "I'm impressed too. How many women Rangers are there?"

"I think there are eleven now. Most of the guys don't really want girls in it. Most still want a boys only club."

"Still. Glad you are with us."

"I'm probably the least experienced alpinist."

Nick says, "But she has been rock climbing and ice too since her teens. Glaciers, did El Capitan in Yosemite when she was 19."

Jenna laughs. "El Cap is really well-mapped. Not that hard really."

Parker says, "Back to your mom and step-dad for a minute. Do I need to do anything for them?"

"No, nothing. They’ll be self-sufficient."

Jenna adds, "He is low key. His focus will be on Nick’s mom. He’ll arrange for her to be as comfortable as possible. And I think his partner Dino and his girlfriend are coming up too. They won’t be any trouble. They’ll be an asset. A resource. They’ll probably have us all over to dinner. And if anyone should need a helicopter they’ll make theirs available.”

”Yeah. Okay.”

“So tomorrow you fly up to Lukla. In the morning early, Marshall Lewis will come by for your gear. He’s our camp manager. The last two years. He’s good. He’s with Cal Fire. Says he likes some place cold part of the year to balance California. His teenage son Eric is with him this year. Assistant. Eric’s 17, just wants to get a feel for the mountain. May go up to camp one. Wants to go through the ice fall."

Nick says, "He wants to go through the ice fall. Is ne nuts? That is the worst part of the climb. Man I hate the ice fall."

"No accounting for taste. Been climbing since he was 14. Want to see the ice fall."

"I'm not climbing with him. May have a death wish."

"Okay separate out what you need for the trek up. We’ll get the rest to Base Camp. If you forget something, you can most likely buy what you need in Lukla or Namche Bazaar.

How early? 

They’ll be by around 7. Your Lukla flight is at 10:00.

You stay a night in Lukla then go on up. From Lukla to Phadking is pretty easy. Hardly uphill. Easiest trekking day. Take your time. Acclimatize. Can’t do anything about the weather, but best chance of doing well on the mountain is being acclimatized. Anatoli Bourkreev believed way to success on mountain was to go up and down several times. Not just up and down the mountain, everybody does that. But practically back here to Kathmandu. Places where the oxygen is good and thick. Compared to up on the mountain. You sea level people are spoiled. You live in rich thick oxygen. Give your body time to adjust. Just before a summit try, Anatoli believed everyone should go back down for a few days to where the oxygen is rich.”

Jenna says, ”Not just down to base camp? But lower?”

“As low as you can. Anatoli was a very strong climber. He was on the mountain in May 1996. Saved lives. He got a raw deal about the deaths in ‘96.”

"He died on K2, didn’t he?"

"Not K2, Annapurna. A year or so later. My dad knew him. Thought he was the best climber on the mountain in ‘96."

"Five people died in 96?"

"Eight. Most in the storm. Stayed up too long. Too crowded."

Jenna says, “So your dad climbed?”

”Yeah he was with the Calgary Team in ‘96. They gave up, came down. After the storm. But my dad knew Anatoli. Liked him a lot."

They order, Yak Track specials. Drink beer, eat. Begin to know each other, size each other up. Nick drinks too much. Jenna eats little. Drinks some. Jenna helps Nick back to the room. He passes out on the bed. Jenna takes his shoes off. Wraps herself up in an extra blanket and goes to sleep next to him.


	2. March 15 Katmandu to Lukla

Nick wakes up next to Jenna. She is still asleep. Starts to lean over to kiss her, stops himself. Gets up. Goes in the bathroom when he comes out she is up. She hurries into the bathroom, shuts the door. Nick hears her throwing up.

Nick asks through the door. “Are you okay?”

“Okay. Maybe something I ate. Maybe the altitude. Can't shake seem to shake it. Hope I didn’t pick up a parasite somewhere.”

”It’s 6:0O. The camp manager will be here soon. We’ve got to get the gear ready.”

“Could you drink some tea? Maybe something to eat. Toast or something? I’ll go out, bring something back.”

“Yeah, tea. Toast okay. Thanks.”

Nick leaves. Jenna comes out of the bathroom. Gets back in bed. Goes back to sleep.

Nick comes in. He has two teas and a bag of pastries. He puts the tea and croissants down. “Jenna wake up. I brought food and we have to get to the gear ready.” She is in deep sleep. He shake her gently. Wake up Jenna.

Jenna wakens slowly. Looks disoriented.

“Jenna are you okay? Are you sick?”

“Yeah. No, I’m fine. A little tired. I’ll be okay. I slept okay.”

Nick hands her the tea, then opens the bag of pastries. She drinks a long drink of the tea. Takes a croissant.

Jenna starts getting dressed. Nick watches her, then looks away.

They sort through their gear, pack for the trek. The rest is two bags each which they put by the door.

Marshall and his son come at 7:00. Take the bags. Say they’ll see them in Base Camp. Eric asks if it’s true Jenna was an Army Ranger.   
  
She laughs. “I got through the training. I quit a year later. Don’t be impressed.”

“I am thinking about the army. Like to be a Ranger, maybe try for Delta Force.”

”The guys I work for, Terry Thorne and Dino Deane. You should talk to them. Terry was SAS and Dino was Delta. They’ve been out awhile, quite awhile but they know a lot of special forces guys. I’ll introduce you. They’re nice guys. Well Terry is. Dino’s a not as nice.”

“Thanks, yeah that would be great.”

Marshall and Eric leave with the bags.

“How ya feeling now?”

Jenna says, “So so. I’ve felt worse.”

“You want to stay a night in Lukla or go on up a ways?”

“I’d rather go on. We’d just be sitting around in Lukla.”

“We could meet other climbers. I stayed a night in Lukla last year. It was fun. Nice to meet people from other groups. Get some tips from other climbers. There’s a tavern there.”

“I’m okay with staying tonight there if you want to. “

“Yeah okay. It’s all acclimatization. Slower is better.”

*

They land in Lakla. The plane is full. Jenna laughs after they land.

“I wish Paul could see this. This airstrip. Man I wouldn’t want to fly in and out of here.”

“Yeah. You could do it though. You want to talk to the pilot?”

“No. I want lunch.”

They get their packs. Go out with the group. Follow the others. Chose The Many Mountains View Lodge. Nice clean room. Sunny. Twin beds. With sheets and blankets. And even pillows. Bathroom down the hall but with a real toilet. And sink and running water. Big window.

Nick says, ”Practically the Ritz Carleton.”

Jenna says, “I’ve slept much rougher.”


	3. March 15   Lukla  Afternoon and Evening

They like their room at the Many Mountains View Lodge. Nice window with a shelf below. Heat. Bathroom down the hall on their floor. It will probably be the last room with heat for them. And maybe the last toilet with running water. 

Nick and Jenna go down to the common room. Have dinner. Then go out to tavern Nick liked the year before. It is full of trekkers and climbers. Hard to tell the difference at this point. Trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC) camp has become popular. A bucket list item. But almost like an amusement park ride.

There is a something of a thrill to tolerating air getting thinner and thinner. And then at EBC for a day or two rubbing shoulders with real climbers. The Everest climbers. Last year Nick saw a popular German guide get asked for an autograph from a trekker. An autograph. But to trekkers, the Everest climbers are rock stars. Not the varsity, but quarterbacks for the NFL. Some trekkers are no more than fans in the stands. 

Trekkers in Base Camp after a day or two would usually start down. And get the leaving Everest Base Camp high. The delicious feeling of air gradually richer and thicker with oxygen. They never had the feeling before. What it is like to be deprived of oxygen and then to get it back. How they had struggled climbing up the trail. How easy it was on the way down. How effortless the walking was. How strong they felt. Yes it was worth it. It was a ticket E ride. Not euphoria but a high. An altered state. Oxygen lots of oxygen after oxygen deprivation makes you high, a particular kind of high. A particular pleasure.

But most of the climbers hated most of trekkers. They over-populated the camp. The didn't respect the mountain. They threw trash on the ground. They crowded the trails. Many climbers thought trekkers should be banned during climbing season. All of April and May at least. But the Everest season was the most popular with trekkers. Not just for the weather, but because the Everest climbers were the band, were the stars, were rock stars. And the trekkers were fans. Groupies. They trekkers would never be banned. They spent too much money. Spread around too much money. And Nepal loved the trekkers’ money. And some climbers liked them. Lusty fit young men away from girlfriends and wives. And a perky trekker often offered a pleasant and welcome diversion for a climber resting up for his next acclimatization to camp one or camp two.

But trekkers use resources. Some were now even going up camp one. More oxygen deprivation. More people in the Khumba ice fall. More people on the ladders. More people on the mountain. And the atmosphere was changing. It used to be that everyone in base camp was a climber or there to support an Everest summit. Maybe a journalist.

Now some Susie from Des Moines hoped to entice a real climber into her sleeping bag before she started down that path into ever richer oxygen and the high that was promised. A lot of the guides were unmarried or if married had a flexible fidelity. For the women climbers there used to be one rule: don’t shag the sherpas. But even that rule was now being bent. Still shagging sherpas tended to cause trouble.

Nick was mixed about the trekkers. He thought they clogged the paths but some were okay. He’d met two girls last year. One on the way up, one on the way down. Spent a couple of nights with each one. Nice distraction. He took their numbers but never called. And he didn’t want them in Base Camp especially if there was trouble on the mountain, a storm or injuries. 

The tavern is nearly full. A buzz. A hum. A lot of English, but other languages too. All the table are occupied but there are empty chairs. They take a table with three empty chairs. Seated there already are two men and a woman. Nick and Jenna introduce themselves. And offer a round of beer for the table which is enthusiastically accepted. Nick and Jenna are welcomed. And their companions are climbers not trekkers. Maxine, Hans and Michael introduce themselves. Hans has been hired as a guide, his first time guiding. They are a team from South Africa. Michal and Maxine are siblings. Both have climbed Annapurna. Summited. Caught the climbing bug. Old friends of Hans. Maxine just finished a residency in Cape Town. Her brother is in banking and Hans Maxine says is a ski bum looking for a rich American woman to support him. 

Hans invited them, persuaded them to do Everest with him. Their whole team is seven people. All South African. Hans has been living in Switzerland. Hans summited Everest two years ago. Without oxygen. Had summited Everest once before though lost a couple of toes the first time. Preens a little when he talks about summiting with no oxygen. Is being the second guide for the team. Asks Nick and Jenna about their climbing experience. Nick talks about Denali and the seven summits. Hans is dismissive. He says The 7 Summits should be the seven tallest mountains. He says Mount Kosciuszko is for school boys. Hans focuses on Jenna. Wants to know if she is going along with the school boy plan. Easy mountains, hills. Nick gets quiet. Hans has climbed three of the seven highest mountains. Everest, K2, Lhotse. Jenna asks him how often he has guided. He says it is his first time. But maybe if he likes it he will do it full time. He thinks he would be a good guide. He says maybe Jenna would like to climb with him. He asks Nick if he is Jenna’s boyfriend. Jenna laughs and says Nick is her mountain boyfriend. That she also has a sea level boyfriend. Nick smiles, takes her hand and squeezes it. Jenna says two boyfriends is enough for her. She thanks Hans for the offer but says she only climbs with Nick. Hans is mildly annoyed. Jenna finishes her beer, says she is tired that she is going to bed. Nick finishes his beer too. He waves to some people who have just come in and managed to snag an empty table. She tells Nick to stay. Jenna gives Nick a kiss on the cheek and leaves. Nick goes over to the climbers he waved to. They welcome him. They are already have two pitchers of beer, someone gets a glass for him. Nick glances back at Hans. Hans has gotten up, from the table. He leaves. Nick says he’ll be right back and follows Hans out.

Hans has caught up with Jenna, he has his hand on her arm. She looks down at his hand. Nick catches up to them.

“Is he bothering you?”

Jenna laughs. “I was just telling Hans, that I used to be an Army Ranger and I didn’t want to hurt him, but that he ought to take his hand off me.”

Hans drops his hand down to his side.

“Good night.” He walks back into the tavern.

“He’s interested in you.”

“Not interested in him.”

“Want me to walk back up to the lodge with you?”

“He believed me. About being a Ranger.”

“Not sure that will be enough. Your mountain boyfriend huh?”

“If we summit Everest, I’m going to want to do the others. All down hill from Everest right? I like climbing with you. Will want to do the other mountains with you.”

“I’ll climb Denali again with you. What about Martin?”

Jenna looks down. “He supports my climbing. My doing anything. Everything. Doesn’t want me to give up anything for him. And I know he’s going to die. A part of me does want to give up everything. Just be with him. Spend every minute.”

“You talk about it? His dying?”

“From the beginning. Always talked about it. He wants me to have a life outside of him. Lots of reasons. But one is for when the time comes.” 

“He’s a nice guy Jenna. Funny. I’d like to hate him, but I like him.”

“Everybody likes him. Never feels sorry for himself. Never says why me. Says why not me?”

Nick says, “He said he was glad I was going with you, told me to take care of you. Told me he knows with me you’d be in good hands.”

“He said that to me too. That I’d be in good hands.”

“I’m going to go back in, have a few beers.”

“How do known them? Those guys you went over to.”

“One's a girl. Kind of androgenous. They were on Everest last year. A group from Australia. I’d like you to meet them.”

“I’m tired, sleepy. I’ll meet them. We are all going to the same place.”

“Jenna, I uh, never mind. I’ll see you later.”

She kisses him on the cheek again and goes up to their room.

*

Nick comes in late. Smells of beer. Stumbles a little getting into bed.

Says to Jenna, "Don't wake-up."

She says "What time is it?”

“Nearly four.”

She groans.

He says, "That girl Jenna, she's not as androgenous as I thought."

Jenna laughs, rolls over and goes back to sleep.

*


	4. March 16 Lukla

Jenna awakens before Nick.  
"Nick get up."  
Nick groans. "Go away."  
Jenna goes down the hall to the bathroom.  
She has nausea, almost throws up again but manages not too.  
She come back into the room.  
"Nick come on."  
Nick says, "Damnit Jenna I need to sleep a little longer. We don't have to start yet. Today’s an easy day.”  
"Okay, I'll go get us tea. And croissants. I’m sick again. Maybe something I’m eating doesn’t agree with me. The spices they put in the food. My stomach has been upset off and on since Kathmandu. "  
Nick mumbles something that sounds like okay. Or maybe it’s sorry 

*

When Jenna gets back Nick is still sleeping. She is holding tea in her right hand and tea and a bag of croissants in her left hand. She nudges him with her foot. "Wake up. You didn't come up here to party."  
"Get up Nick."  
He wakes up, rubs his eyes, slowly sits up. She hands him the tea. And offers him the bag with the croissants. He says "It's an easy day Jenna. A lot of it is slightly down hill. Gain about 3000 feet overall. Gradual. We can start a little late. We'll be faster than a lot of people. The suspension bridges are a trip. Animals go across them. Horses, yaks, donkeys. Used to be just yaks. Sometimes dogs follow you. No otter hounds that I saw. The people from last night want to meet us at the Irish Pub in Namche Bazaar. Fun place. You gotta try it. It will be crowded. Might even see your friend Hans there. "  
Jenna throws a pillow at him. "I'm calling Martin."  
"Yeah? What time is it there?"  
"About 5 pm."  
"You know who is good at time zones?"  
"Terry?"  
"My mom tries to stump him. She never can. She'll ask him what time it is, he tells her, then she asks what time it is in Istanbul, then Lahore, then Mumbai, then Dublin. Never heard her stump him once. Like the guy has a time zone calculator in his head."  
"Paul pretty good too. But Terry’s the best. I’ve tried to stump him. Never have. He just knows. You had a satisfying night?"  
Nick, somewhat sheepish says, "Yeah, I told you last night. She's not as androgenous as I thought. Jealous?"  
Jenna smiles. "A little jealous. Not enough to do anything about it. Like you to have a good time."  
Nick looks sad for a minute. "I know you do. Want me to have a good time. Did I tell you I'm seeing Angela again?"  
"No. When did that happen?"  
"Terry invited Tom and Cherie to the retreat last summer. They brought her. You were busy with Martin."  
"I knew she was there. I talked to all of them a little: Noah, Pietro and Angela. I think Noah wants to join Terry's cyber-guys."   
"Yeah so we Angela and I spent time at the retreat in Cabo. We went SCUBA diving. We went up to see some petroglyphs north of Cabo she wanted to see. She and Pietro have started seeing other people. Then she was home at Christmas. She and Noah came over to the house. We all played pool. Tom and Cherie like to sail with Terry and my mom. They brought her on the boat a few times over the holidays. It was nice to be with her again. Missed her more than I thought I had. Then we went out to a club a few times before she went back to London. Pietro is moving to Italy in July. He wants to go to China but they won't let him back in. He got an apprenticeship as a restorer in a gallery in Rome. Some connection through one of Terry's guys. So Angela has to find a new roommate. She asked if I'd like to spend a year in London, be her roommate. Pietro was working as a waiter. She said I could maybe take his job, earn a little money. We could travel in Europe some. I thought maybe I would do that. Angela and me you know we were good together. I could marry Angel she's a nice girl. She accepts me as I am. Known her since I was five. Don't have to try to impress her or anything. I'm comfortable with her. I mean if you aren't ever going to marry me."  
"I'm never going to marry you, Nick."  
"Even when Martin dies? My mom married Terry after my dad died. He waited for her. Never found anybody else. I could wait for you. Like Terry waited for my mom."  
"I'm never going to marry you Nick. Not even when Martin dies. And Nick it's too soon for you to marry anyone. "  
“I want to settle down with someone who accepts my climbing. Maybe I could be a guide. With some group. Be a second guide like Hans is. I would like somebody who would accept that. Angela would. Her mom and dad like me. My mom likes Angela."  
"Too soon Nick."  
"You found Martin."  
"Not the same thing."  
"Don't you wish you had found him when he was my age. You could have been with him all that time. Before he got sick."  
“Nick, Martin is ten years older than I am. When he was your age I was 12.”  
"Age doesn’t matter Jenna.”  
“It does when you are 12.”  
"If I move to London, move in with her, and wait tables and then climb Elbrus, I can see what it is like with her. Will she really accept my climbing. Or will she want me to get an engineering job."  
"Elbrus? If you do Everest this trip, then Elbrus you'd have four."  
"If you summit Everest Jenna you'll have two. All down hill after that. I'd climb Denali again with you."  
"You'll have three if you do Everest. Kilimanjaro, Denali, Everest. Then Elbrus. Then only three to go.”  
"Climb Elbrus with me if I do it next summer?  
"Maybe. Not sure I can do next year. Don't know how Martin will be doing.  
"Would you marry him?"  
"Better worse richer poorer. Til death. Til death. I don’t know. Anyway he hasn’t asked me.  
"If he did?"  
"Maybe."


	5. March 16 Lukla to Phakding

They eat breakfast in the lodge common room. There’s coffee but Jenna has tea. Nick has a Western style breakfast . Jenna has rice and vegetables. A kind of curry. Nick sees some climbers he knows and goes over to talk to them. After breakfast she goes up to the bathroom and is sick again. Nick comes in and finds her on sitting on the bed.  
“Jenna are you sick again?”  
“Yeah. Felt okay yesterday. Whatever it is it’s back. Croissants and tea are safe. It might be the curry.”  
“No more curry for you.”  
“I’ll starve to death up here if I eliminate curry.”  
“We can take eleven days to base camp. Maybe it’s altitude. We could stay another day here.”  
“I’m okay. Let’s go.”


	6. Base Camp & Seeing the Icefall

In Alpine Base Camp, Parker’s operation there are ten climbers, two guides, the camp doctor, a camp manager and Parker the big boss. And twenty sherpas. Two sherpas are cooks. Others help clean up serve tea, manage supplies and gear. When they are not climbing. Parker has been one mountain or another for years. He was a climber, then a guide and finally started Alpine. His father was a climber. Parker was in the Canadian army for three years. He served in the quartermaster corps. He credits his success in camp organization to what he learned in the quartermaster. And, Parker’s organized. Very very organized.

Parker’s camp has a big flag with a penguin on it. Had told them, “Look for the camp with the penguin flag.” Parker had the flag made years ago for climbing Vinson Massif. He liked it so much he just kept using it.

Nick and Jenna walk into base camp in the early afternoon. It’s warm almost balmy. Men are sitting around in lawn chairs. Many in shorts and bare chested. Drinking. Calling out to friends in other camps. There is a festive air. Camps are playing music. The women in the camp are more often doctors or camp managers. There are few women climbers. Jenna is the only one of the ten in Parker’s group.

The other camps call them Parker’s Penguins. Their camp is clean, well arranged. There are 15 tents in the compound. Sherpas share tents. The doctor and the camp manager each have their own their own tent. The climbers are two to a tent. Parker sleeps in the command center. They also have a dining/community tent set up The personal tents are arranged around those. The command center and the dining community tent have artificial flowers and bright colored hanging spreads inside. Tables, chairs. In the command center, computers, satellite phones, radios.

Jenna and Nick go into the command center. Parker is there. Parker asks if they still want a tent together. They do. He shows them their tent, tells them where their gear is. Tells them dinner is at 5, then they’ll have their first meeting. And the whole team will be introduced. He also gives them baseball caps with penguins on them. “Our oxygen tanks all have penguins stenciled on them as well.”

Nick and Jenna put on the caps and get their gear and settle into their tent. They walk over to the bottom of the Khumba ice fall. Jenna wants to see it. And hear it. Nick has told her how it sounds alive. How it groans and sighs. It is late afternoon and the sun is slanted off it. The air around the camp has been warm but near the glacier, the icefall, it’s cold. The glacier chills the air around it. Jenna shivers. Some climbers are coming out of the Icefall. They look tired. Hans is one of the climbers coming out.

He sees Jenna and Nick and walks over to them. Greets Jenna first. “I was hoping to see you again.”  
He adds, “You too Nick. How was the trek up? You just get here?”  
Nick answers, “This afternoon. Yeah.”  
Hans is smiling, friendly. He seems to have forgotten Jenna's rebuff. “Come over to our camp. Have a drink with us. We have the big orange white blue flag. And bottles of good stuff.  
Nick answers, “Don’t know our schedule yet.”  
Jenna says nothing.  
“Yeah Jenna if you need help with your crampons or harness or anything, let me know. I’m a guide remember.”  
Jenna nods, “I’ve got it covered. Thanks.”  
“Yeah okay.” Hans goes on toward the camp.

They wait by the Icefall watching the shadows, feeling its cold, listening to it.  
“We won’t have to go through it that much. Less than other teams. Only twice, maybe at the most four times. Parker sends his people up Lobuche for acclimatization instead through the Icefall. It’s safer. “  
“I’ve thought about the Icefall as much as the Geneva Spur, the Hillary Step. More I guess.”  
“You’ll be fine Jenna. You’re fit. You’re disciplined.”  
“I’ll be happy if I put the crampons on without getting them backwards and upside down.”  
“Well if you do get them upside down or backwards I’m sure Hans will come right over to help you.”

They walk back over to their tent. Jenna gets out her crampons, Nick helps her with them. She puts them on and takes them off several times. Finally just sits outside in the chair with them on. Nick sits with her. Brian comes over, followed by the camp doctor Bonnie. Brian has a beer.

Nick invites him, “Get your chair come sit here with us. Any more beer where that come from. Come on, both of you join us. And bring beer.” The doctor gets a chair comes back, sits down with Jenna and Nick.

Brian comes back followed by two men, who appear to be father and son. “Can we join you as well? We brought our own beer.” Brian has brought cold beer for Jenna and Nick and Bonnie.

The two men introduce themselves. They are father and son. Jake Neville and his father Arthur. Both Irish. Father Arthur was SAS, has summited Everest twice. Thinks he is still fit enough. Brought his son. Hopes to summit together. Son is an engineer, has been working on solar energy project but took time off to climb with his father. They go get their chairs. Nick talks about last year. His disappointment. How it bugged him most every day.

Brian raises his beer, “My fellow penguins. To a good climb and good weather.” They all touch cans and drink.

Nick says, “To summiting.” They touch cans again.


	7. Jenna looks at the Khumbu Icefall

Jenna has gone to the Icefall again. She stands looking into it. She has on the crampons. She is by herself. The weather is nice. Sunny, warm. But the air near the ice fall is cold. And the Ice Fall groans and cracks. There is a short line going in to the Ice Fall. She gets in the line then the last minute before going she steps out of the line. She walks back toward the tents.

Hans comes up to her. “Were you in the ice fall?”

“No. Just looking at it. And listening to it.”

“I see you got your crampons on. Were you going thru it and you chickened out?”

“I wasn’t sure. I stood around for awhile. Got in line. Then decided not to.”

“Were you really a Ranger?”

“I made it thru the training, stayed in one year after. I proved I could get through the training. It’s a boys club. Most of the guys didn’t want girls in the club. Decided I wanted to do other things.”

“Yeah, what else have you done?” Hans is walking in step with her. She looks at him, pauses before she answers.

He says, “You don’t like me.”

“Don’t know you.”

“Wanna get to know me?”

Nick walks up, says “Is he bothering you?”

“I’m not bothering her. I’m trying to get to know her. We are all climbing the same mountain. Should be nice to each other. Never know when you might need a hand up there from somebody.”

Hans nods to Nick. “Jenna”

Hans walks away. Calls over his shoulder, “If you want company in the Icefall you know where I am.”

Jenna laughs. “Under the orange white and blue flag.”

Hans says over his shoulder, “Nice laugh.”

Nick says, “Goddamnit, he’s coming on to you.”

“Nick, I can handle him. He’s not a problem. I was at the Icefall. He was there. He started walking back with me. “

“What’s the guy’s story?”

“No idea. Come on. I’m hungry. “

“How’s your stomach?”

“Not too bad today.”

They walk back to their camp.


	8. In the tent

Nick and Jenna are in their tent. Each in a separate sleeping bag. It’s dark but not late. The camp is not quiet. People are talking. Music is playing. People are walking around. Jenna is lying on her back looking up. Nick is on his side looking at her.

“We could zip our sleeping bags together. For warmth.”

“Not that cold. Maybe up the mountain. When it’s colder.”

“Nick, tomorrow I want to go into the Icefall.”

“No, Jenna.”

“I have to go in. I have to go across some of the ladders.”

“Jenna, it’s not a big deal. Get your crampons positioned over the rings of the ladder, don’t look down. The ladders are well roped. I’ll be right behind you.”

“I need to go across them. I need to do this. I have to do it now.”

“Parker doesn’t want people in the Icefall. It’s not safe. It’s not Russian roulette but Jenna with climate change it’s worse, more unstable every year. You’ll be fine. You don’t need to practice.”

“I have to try the ladders Nick.”

“Parker will say no. Jenna why?”

“Because they scare me. The way they are strung out, sometimes three tied together across crevasses that look like they go down 1/2 a mile. When something scares me, I have to leave it or go for it.”

“Did I scare you?”

Jenna laughs, “No Nick. You never scared me. I just liked you. I still like you. And I liked doing things with you. Still like doing things with you. And you introduced me to climbing.”

“Does Martin scare you?”

“His ALS does. “

“So are you going to go for it or leave it.”

“I already went for it, I guess. If I liked him, I couldn’t let the fear of the disease drive me away.”

“And you liked him.”

“A little more than like.”

“So what Jenna, love at first sight? You looked across the room saw this guy in a wheel chair and thought oh there is the love of my life.”

Jenna sighs. “Nick, when I saw Martin from across the room, I didn’t see the wheelchair at all. I just saw him.”

‘And what you wanted to jump into his arms?”

“No I did want to jump into his arms. I felt like I already knew him but I knew I didn’t know him and I felt like I had to get to know him to catch up to how I already felt. And I wanted to stay in his presence.”

“Didn’t you feel that with me?”

“Never felt it with anyone.”

“Were you and Dino lovers?”

Jenna laughs again. “Did you get me up here on the side of this mountain in this tent together so you can get all these questions answered?”

“You broke-up with me. And you wouldn’t explain why. So yeah maybe I did.”

“I did explain. It was time. “

“Fuck Jenna. It wasn’t time. It wasn’t time for me. Not for me. Were you and Dino lovers?”

Jenna is quiet. Then she says, “For a short time. Before he and Terry hired me. Dino made it clear. If I wanted the job...”

“If you wanted the job what?”

“Dino would be as my lover or my boss. Not both.”

“You chose the job. Obviously. Is it similar with me?”

“Nick, I like you. I enjoyed the time with you. “

“The sex, the climbing?”

“I enjoyed both.”

“You didn’t see me across the room and think you knew me.”

“No. I showed you around Dino’s plane, and you told me about climbing Denali when you were 17 and I was impressed and I wanted to get to know you better. And then you called me and asked me out and I went and I liked your company.”

“I don’t understand why you broke-up with me. I was a good boyfriend.”

“Nick you were never my boyfriend. You were a friend with benefits.”

“I felt like your boyfriend. To me I was your boyfriend. I didn’t want anyone else. So Martin. He’s your boyfriend.”

“He is. Maybe something more even.”

“And you never had a boyfriend before.”

“Never did.”

“Just friends with benefits.”

“Nick, you know that. You know it’s true. I didn’t want more, didn’t feel more. Friends was good. But the way I am with Martin. It’s different, I’m different.”

“But we were good Jenna.”

“Nick, I don’t want to keep having this conversation. I like sharing a tent with you, but I don’t want to keep talking about this.”

“So what if I keep bringing it up you’ll go share a tent with Hans?”

“Yep. I’ll go share a tent with Hans.”

“I’m sure he’d like that. Probably what he’s hoping for.”

“You’re seeing Angela again.”

“Yeah. I don’t know why I keep bring this up. Maybe because you are the coolest girl I know. But yeah, I’m seeing Angela. It’s easy. It’s comfortable. Our families are close. Terry likes her dad. My mom likes her mom. It feels natural to be with her. The sex is good. She has a nice body. It’s good with her. Angela is good. I missed her when she was with Pietro. I didn’t like the idea of him having sex with her. It bugged me. One last thing, were you and Terry ever lovers?”

“No. Dino and Terry never get involved with the same woman. So there’s that. And Terry you know I think he was always stuck on your mom.”

“Yeah. She stayed with my dad. But I think they fell in love when my dad was being held by the kidnappers. They just didn’t do anything about it then. I mean I believe they didn’t, then. She told me she was faithful to my dad. I believe her.”

“So are we done with this? “

“I don’t know. It might come up again.”

“I’m going into the Icefall tomorrow”

“Fine but you have to tell Parker. “

“I’ll tell him it’s something I need to do.”

“Because of the ladders.”

“Yeah. Because of the ladders.”


	9. Chapter 9

When Nick wakes up Jenna is gone. He gets up and goes looking for her. He finds her arguing with Parker.

“No. It isn’t necessary.”

“It is. To me it is.”

”Jenna you are one of the most fit people on my team. You could be a guide with more experience. But you can't make these decisions. What I say goes. You have to accept what I say. One crossing through. One crossing back. The Icefall kills more people every year. Most groups only go through at night now.”   
  
  



End file.
